Grammar – A Level Additional: Verbs (Dependent Infinitives, Passive Voice all tenses, Subjunctive perfect and imperfect) — WJEC A-Level French

This topic covers three advanced verb structures in French: dependent infinitives (verbs followed by à or de + infinitive), the passive voice across all tenses, and the subjunctive mood in its perfect and imperfect forms. These are essential for achieving high marks in A-Level French, as they allow you to express complex ideas with precision and sophistication. Mastering these structures will enable you to write and speak with greater fluency and accuracy, particularly in formal or analytical contexts.

Dependent infinitives are common in French and require careful memorisation of which prepositions (à or de) follow specific verbs. The passive voice, while less frequent in French than in English, is crucial for formal writing and impersonal constructions. The subjunctive perfect and imperfect are used to express doubt, emotion, or hypothetical situations in the past, and are a hallmark of advanced French. Together, these structures form a key part of the WJEC A-Level grammar syllabus and are frequently tested in translation, writing, and oral exams.

Understanding these concepts will also deepen your appreciation of French literature and media, as they appear in sophisticated texts. By the end of this topic, you should be able to recognise and produce these forms accurately, avoiding common pitfalls like incorrect preposition use or tense confusion.

• →Dependent infinitives: Verbs like 'commencer à' (to begin to) and 'décider de' (to decide to) require specific prepositions. Memorise common verb + preposition pairs.
• →Passive voice formation: Use 'être' + past participle, with the past participle agreeing in gender and number with the subject. All tenses are possible (e.g., présent: 'est fait', passé composé: 'a été fait', futur simple: 'sera fait').
• →Subjunctive perfect: Formed with 'avoir' or 'être' in the present subjunctive + past participle (e.g., 'que j'aie parlé', 'que je sois allé(e)'). Used for past actions with subjunctive triggers.
• →Subjunctive imperfect: Formed from the third person plural of the passé simple + endings (-sse, -sses, -^t, -ssions, -ssiez, -ssent). Used in formal or literary French after 'si' clauses or in hypothetical past contexts.

• Award credit for accurate formation of the passive voice in all tenses, ensuring correct use of être as the auxiliary and past participle agreement with the subject.
• Credit appropriate use of the imperfect subjunctive in formal or literary contexts, particularly after conjunctions requiring subjunctive in past-tense main clauses (e.g., bien que, pour que).
• Credit correct deployment of dependent infinitives with prepositions (après, sans, pour, avant de) and the appropriate infinitive (present or past) to express temporal or causal relationships.

• 💡In translation tasks, scrutinise the English tense and voice; reproduce the passive exactly with the correct French tense sequence, especially when English uses progressive forms like 'is being done'.
• 💡Incorporate the imperfect subjunctive once or twice in an essay to showcase advanced grammar, but only in set phrases like 'il aurait fallu que' or after 'bien que' in past narrative, ensuring the form is accurate.
• 💡For dependent infinitives, mentally checklist if the action is prior to the main verb (use après + past infinitive) or simultaneous/negative (use sans + present infinitive); this prevents common preposition errors.
• 💡For dependent infinitives, create flashcards with verb + preposition pairs and practice using them in sentences. Examiners look for accurate preposition use in translations and essays.
• 💡When using the passive voice, ensure the past participle agrees with the subject. A common mistake is forgetting agreement, e.g., 'Les lettres sont écrit' instead of 'écrites'.
• 💡For the subjunctive, remember that the imperfect subjunctive is rare in spoken French but appears in formal writing. In exams, you may be asked to recognise it or transform sentences. Focus on the perfect subjunctive for everyday use.

• Confusing the passive auxiliary être with avoir, especially in compound tenses like the passé composé, or forgetting past participle agreement with the subject.
• Using the present subjunctive instead of the imperfect subjunctive when the main clause is in the past tense and the action is simultaneous or posterior, e.g., 'Il fallait qu'il vienne' instead of 'qu'il vînt'.
• Incorrectly using an infinitive after conjunctions that require the subjunctive, such as 'pour que' or 'avant que', or vice versa, using subjunctive after prepositions like 'avant de'.
• Misusing prepositions with dependent infinitives: Many students confuse 'à' and 'de'. For example, 'apprendre à' (to learn to) vs. 'essayer de' (to try to). Always learn the verb with its correct preposition.
• Overusing the passive voice: In French, the passive is less common than in English. Often the active voice or 'on' is more natural. Use the passive only when the agent is important or unknown.
• Confusing subjunctive perfect with imperfect: The subjunctive perfect is used for past actions relative to a main verb in the present or future (e.g., 'Je suis content qu'il ait fini'). The imperfect subjunctive is used after a main verb in a past tense (e.g., 'J'étais content qu'il finît').